TORONTO (February 13, 2008) - Volvo Cars of Canada Corp. will showcase the XC60 Concept in its first Canadian appearance at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, February 15-24, 2008.
The styling of this new crossover utility vehicle - one of the fastest-growing segments in the automotive industry - represents a new direction for the Volvo Cars brand and offers an early look at new design elements that will grow into future Volvo vehicles. To the design team responsible for the XC60 Concept, the vehicle is more than just a luxurious crossover utility vehicle; it has the visual appeal of two cars in one.
"Down below, unmistakeable and capable XC muscles pump up the car, giving it a purposeful stance with a high ground clearance on large wheels," says Steve Mattin, Volvo Cars Design Director. "Above the waistline, the dashing lines trace the profile and sporty charisma of an elegant, sexy coupe."
A look at the front of the XC60 Concept reveals pronounced features that give evidence of evolution to Volvo Cars' design DNA. The angled headlamps and sweeping wheel wells, for example, give the car the sculpted, muscular appearance to which Mattin refers. Despite the dramatic roof line that gives the XC60 Concept the coupe-like profile, rear-ward visibility is aided by transparent glass on the lower section of the tailgate. The roof is also transparent, with dark-tinted glass born upon a Y-shaped structure.
"We will make our Scandinavian design heritage more emotional and radiant by adding sculptured, exciting shapes and new, innovative features," says Mattin. He adds that the design team was tasked with conceiving a vehicle that a C30 owner might consider as their next purchase.
The XC60 Concept includes some subtle design cues that will make their way into other Volvo vehicles. For example, an enlarged iron mark logo on the grill of the car. On the tailgate, the "VOLVO" name has more pronounced lettering and wider spacing than ever before. The 2008 V70 and XC70, for example, currently feature the new style for the brand label.
The XC60 Concept is the result of eight months of rigorous work at Volvo Cars Concept Centre in Göteborg, Sweden. In total, eight different departments made up of 70 staff collaborated on the project. Led by Mattin, the team had no question as to the significance of the XC60 project; not only for the company's next XC vehicle, but for the future of Volvo vehicle design.
"The concept car not only provides a good indication of what the XC60 will look like, it also offers a hint of the lines of future Volvo models," says Mattin. "With a more sculptured look, our cars will be more extroverted in their visual appeal. If you say that you recognise a Volvo from 50 metres today, I want to get to the point where people will instantly spot it from twice the distance in the future."
Mattin adds: "It is time to once and for all forget all about boxy Volvos."
Volvo Cars of Canada Corp. is part of the Volvo Car Corporation of Göteborg, Sweden. The company provides marketing, sales, parts, service, technology and training support to the 42 Volvo automobile retailers across the country. The company's product range includes the stylish and sporty C30, the elegant C70 hardtop convertible, the compact S40 sedan, the S60 sport sedan, the S80 flagship sedan, the versatile V50 wagon and the award-winning XC90 sport utility vehicle. For the 2008 model year, the company is introducing two all-new models: the redesigned V70 wagon and the capable and comfortable XC70.
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Volvo Cars of Canada Corp. reserve the right to make changes at any time, without notice, to color, specifications, accessories, materials and models.
